Guppy Problem In A Long Standing Tank.

[Shane Ward]

Hi all,

So, I had a 60ltr tank for a while with a load of fish in it. A load of guppy's that were grown from babies from the first generation, A sucker fish, 4 clown loaches and a bunch of others I'd forgotten the names off and they were living fine without problems.

The guppys has a third generation of babies and they ate them like dessert, so I decided to catch twenty of them and place them in a small corner of the tank in a makeshift nersury for them to grow. They seemed fine for a while until they began to drop dead one by one each day. Now with only two left, the larger guppies have begun to drop dead for some reason.

I have noticed a fine white mist covering the whole of the guppies when the light is turned on. In the dark, or normal lighting they look normal. No color fade or darkness. Just a strange haze that seems to be in the slime coat of the fish. Some of the guppies have suffered from unusual thinness before this problems in which I lost two. But I put this down to old age. I have noticed them darting around and rubbing things from time to time.

So far all the other fish seem okay with no sign of illness, except the molleys I have do act strange from time to time. They always do, eating the heater, shivering and just eating each other waste...

Anyway, I did a 75% water change and added some medical stuff to combat internal infection. The filter for the tank is for a 150letre tank and well cycled so it should keep the chemical balance stable even through I did a huge water change. I am a little nervous about the medial treatment because of the clown loaches I have, so I added below the normal dose and keep my eye on them, they seem okay for the moment.

Anyway, just want to know whats got the guppy's.

Many thanks
Shane

 

[WILDER]

Your tanks overstocked.
Can you post fish types, and how many.
Do you have test results in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Clown loaches even when babies need to be a kept in 40 gallon tank.
100 gallon when they grow bigger.

The slime on the fish can be due to bad water quality, so need to look at your water stats.
Also check your fish to see if they look like they have been sprinkled in salt.
Or tiny white spots.
Darting can be due to bad water quality, ph shock, toxins, parasites.
Fish that look skinny can be due to not feeding enough, bacterial infection, fish TB, internal parasites.
Check your fish when they go to the toilet for long stringy white waste, clear mucas waste.
Check there no hair like worms sticking out of the fish anus.
Also check the fish anus to see if it looks enlarged, or red and inflamed.
Check fish for a curved spine, bent spine.
Do any of the fish show signs of gasping, or laboured breating?

What is the name of the treatment you have been using please?

 

[Shane Ward]

Your tanks overstocked.
Can you post fish types, and how many.
Do you have test results in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Clown loaches even when babies need to be a kept in 40 gallon tank.
100 gallon when they grow bigger.

The slime on the fish can be due to bad water quality, so need to look at your water stats.
Also check your fish to see if they look like they have been sprinkled in salt.
Or tiny white spots.
Darting can be due to bad water quality, ph shock, toxins, parasites.
Fish that look skinny can be due to not feeding enough, bacterial infection, fish TB, internal parasites.
Check your fish when they go to the toilet for long stringy white waste, clear mucas waste.
Check there no hair like worms sticking out of the fish anus.
Also check the fish anus to see if it looks enlarged, or red and inflamed.
Check fish for a curved spine, bent spine.
Do any of the fish show signs of gasping, or laboured breating?

What is the name of the treatment you have been using please?

Hi, thanks for the message.

I know the tank is overstocked, however the filter and pump unit for the tank is external Tetra and has a large capacity and many filter sponges which filters the water nicely, the quality seems to be normal on ammonia with nitrate just a little over the 0 mark, its always been like that.

There is no slime on the fish. Just like I said before, when the guppies are exposed to the tropical light, I can see a slight fog over their bodies.

No fish appear to be sprinkled white or have white spot. I do think it could have been a parasite delivered from the pet store, I got some female mollies because the make kept harassing the only female there. Its a big girl and I was afraid it would kill the young male. I originally got the male to breed with the female...

Before the guppy's started to die, the skinny females did have a clear stringy poo hanging out of them. At the moment the other guppy's poo seem normal, but I noticed today that the guppy females are swimming against the current from the exit flow from the filter, it seems like they are trying to tyre themselves out and try and kill themselves. I moved the outflow and heater to stop this and things seem settled.

And finally, the treatment is called Interpet Anti Internal Bacteria.

 

[WILDER]

Do you mean nitrite just over 0, or nitrate?
What brand name is the test kit you are using?

I would suggest doing a water change for now.
Reduce your stocking. Maybe ask the LFS if they would take some fish off your hands.
Keep a close eye on all your fish when they go to the toilet. Need to rule internal parasites out.

Darting, flicking and rubbing, hazy fog on bodies can also be due to bad water quality, parasites.
Hard to tell which it could be without full stocking list, and test results.